Hicksville Road [3-31-14]

Around 2:30 on the afternoon of March 31st the North Massapequa Fire Department was dispatched to a reported building fire at Island Recreational – located at 1059 Hicksville Road [off of Duff Place]. Responding units were advised that multiple calls were being received reporting a fire at the pool supply based store as well as the surrounding retailers. With this additional North Massapequa Chief of Department Robert Schimdgall [6600] immediately requested that his mutual aid units be started out. This heads up move by the Chief paid off when units began to arrive on scene and were met with heavy fire and smoke throughout Island Recreational. Fueled by strong winds and chemicals essential to pool maintenance adjoining stores were ablaze within minutes.

The immediate focus by those first on scene was to have master streams [via hand lines and tower ladders] in operation as well as have 25HM [hazmat] on scene to assist. As the operation unfolded a total of four ladders were in place putting water onto the engulfed taxpayer. In the front of the building were North Massapequa Ladder 661 and Bethpage Ladder 3. To the rear of the building were Massapequa Ladder 636 and Wantagh 6911. The aforementioned wind conditions paired with the aged construction of the building led the fire to travel to the left and right of the original fire building.

Firefighters continued to put water onto the fire as the afternoon unfolded. Eventually the heavy fire load along with the significant amount of water utilized led to collapses throughout the building. Fortunately the concept of an interior based attack was never a thought in firefighter’s minds and everyone had made it out of the building safely prior to first responders going on scene.

Just over three hours into the operation North Massapequa command reported that the fire had been knocked down and slowly began to release mutual aid units from the scene. Due to the hazards kept inside the fire building many firefighters, their equipment, and apparatus went through decontamination by hazmat officials on scene prior to leaving. Because of the significant damage done by the fire Island Recreational and some of the surrounding stores were demolished later that night. Late into the operation a component linking one of the [primary] hydrants to the water main had broken providing a challenge for command. As a precaution any department with a water tanker was notified to respond. Not long after this request was made were the Suffolk based tankers disregarded. The only ones that made the journey to North Massapequa were those from Oyster Bay [Atlantic Steamer] and Bayville. The cause of the Monday afternoon blaze remained under investigation. All fire department units were under the command of North Massapequa Chief of Department Robert Schimdgall [6600].